WASHINGTON (CNN) - Count Republican Mitt Romney among those who aren't happy with Time Magazine's choice of Russian President Vladimir Putin for Person of the Year.

In an interview with CNN's Glenn Beck, the presidential candidate called the choice "disgusting."

"You know, he imprisoned his political opponents. There have been a number of highly suspicious murders," Romney said on Beck's radio show. "He has squelched public dissent and free press. And to suggest that someone like that is the Man of the Year is really disgusting. I'm just appalled."

"Clearly General Petraeus is the person, or one of a few people, who would certainly merit that designation," the former Massachusetts governor added.

Rival presidential candidate John McCain also said Wednesday he disagreed with the choice.

“I noticed that Time Magazine made President Putin the Time Magazine ‘Man of the Year,’” McCain said, according to NBC. “I understand that probably, but my man of the year is one Gen. David Petraeus, our general who has brought success in Iraq.”

soundoff(361 Responses)

Mitt Romney is ignorant in his opposition to Putin being Time's man of the year. Putin is a much better leader than our president and Putin has the respect of his nation and of other world leaders. Most of the faults Romney slams Putin for can also be attributed to George Bush. If Romney is appalled I am even more appalled that we haven't impeached Bush.

Posted By Tom, ALBUQUERQUE, NM : December 19, 2007 7:32 pm

Tom day after day you babble on about nothing...If you really believe Putin is more Respected than GW than you are sicker in the head than previously thought...Please Seek HELP

Jen in Cedar Falls, Ia: Well, that makes three of you that agree with Romney and McCain on how they handled this issue. I don't know about "hating" Bush, though. Maybe, being "educated" also means being able to see him for what he really is, and what his real agenda is,not just being an apologist for him and his administration.It will take many generations to get over the messes that Bush has made, and I can truthfully say that I am very ANGRY with your hero, G.W. Bush. And, it's too bad you're unable to see the truth of all of this.

to "Posted By Thomas" talk about a temper tantrum, your verbiage goes on and on putting down others that disagree with your view, yet most of the postings on this subject are very level headed, on both sides. If you do not see the reasoning behind Time Magazines reasoning maybe you should reread the criteria they use.

You seem to only see one side, instead of actually challenging your mind to look at both sides and make a decision all your own, rather than only listening to party line item thoughts. Before you say it, yes, I ask my own party to take this tact, if one does not fully think out their decisions on issues they end up sounding like these two yahoos who have insulted a nations leader before they are even in office. How do you walk up to a person to discuss world issues if you have already insulted him and called him down? Put yourself in this scenario, you are about to meet with someone that has publicly scolded you, what would your opinion be of that person? Think before you speak, first rule of diplomacy.

To all those fulminating about Time - the point of "Person of the Year" is not to endorse someone, it's simply to pick the person who's had the greatest influence. The fact that it's Putin - and it's an accurate choice - is an indictment of our failures, not a celebration of Putin. No point getting mad about it - do everything you can to get even instead. And not with Time, but rather with Putin himself.

Yes Putin made an impact in 2007, but he didn't free Afganistan from the Taliban or free Iraq from Sadam, he sat by and watched....the US Military is not perfect but they put their lives on the line to defend free people everywhere!

Bush is reaping what he has sown. An unstable world with two pre-emptive WARS with no end in sight. Putin thus emerges as the angry man that roused nationalistic fervor throughout Russia which has gone Anti-American.

Bush has the greatness to not only dream up a State of the Union address like AXIS-OF-EVIL speech but he dared deliver it because it suited his neo-con ideas of winning in IRAQ and rebuilding IRAQ with "IRAQ Oil money".

Where was Dr Rice then? Where is Dr Rice now. Salvaging what is left of the Middle East. Trying to BUILD any semblance of BUSH foreign policy legacy!!!

We are sitting on a powder keg of dynamite called BUSH who has the audacity to utter phrases like "World War III...,", a sitting President of the USA!!!!

Putin has to make the TIME cover for 2007!!! Time editor's are smart. Because a lot depends on Putin now!!!!

Has BUSH not done enough already!! Is he going to give us a WW III but for the CIA NIE report on Iran. Cheney "can not OUT" all the agents of the 16 Intelligence communities that go into making the NIE report!!!!

May GOD save our nation and the world till January 2009.

We NEED the CLINTONS in the White House to put our country and the world back in order.

Let's see, Putin brings stability to his country. Profit in the form of oil exports. Value to the Rouble. Respect to a nation (alleged murders aside). Not too shabby. In that same time, the US economy has fallen, the dollar is shrinking, our imaged tarnished,and healthcare virtually gone. Don't fret though, our nations do have a couple of details in common, both present leaders stole the elections. Bush twice. And both have ties to their respective spy agencies. At least Putin did something constructive with his stolen election. Putin has my vote for POY.